Each sorus of Dennstaedtia punctiloba is a cup-shaped
structure on the margin of the blade. The leaves are relatively
large, ranging from about 40 cm to over 1 meter in length and
the blades are bipinnate-pinnatifid
(nearly 3 times pinnate) with hairs on both surfaces. The fronds
are not strongly clumped, tending to be spread out along horizontal
stems.

The main range of Dennstaeditia punctiloba is in eastern
Canada and the northeastern U.S., west to southern Illinois and
south to northern Alabama and Georgia. A few scattered locations
are known from farther west including Michigan and there is one
documented location in Wisconsin, in Dane County. Habitats include
both forested and sunny sites and this species is sometimes considered
aggressive or weedy in the main part of its range.